"There's probably nothing planned": F1 pundit not hopeful of a return to 'TV Screens' anytime soon

F1 pundit and former driver Johnny Herbert isn't hopeful of returning to Sky Sports any time soon. The Briton was axed from the TV channel after 11 years of reportage ahead of the 2023 season.

Herbert became a regular fixture in Sky's F1 coverage following their successful acquisition of the rights to broadcast F1 in the UK from the 2012 season,

However, both Herbert and Paul di Resta were left out of the team after their contracts were not renewed.

When Mirror Sport requested an explanation for the decision, Sky chose not to provide any comment. Herbert himself is unaware of the rationale behind the move. However, the Briton hinted that fan reactions on social media might have influenced Sky Sports' decision regarding his renewal.

Herbert now has his own podcast, and he claims he has no plans of returning to TV any time soon. He also has no plans of forming a partnership with other broadcasters like Channel 4 either.

Speaking to Mirror Sport, the former F1 driver said:

"That hasn’t come into play. I did my 11 years at Sky and it was good. Now there are other things I'm doing. Because it was in December it was all quite late in terms of sorting other things out. There are a lot of other opportunities but, in terms of seeing me on a TV screen, there's probably nothing planned on that front."

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F1 to test new qualifying format in 2023

In an effort to reduce waste, F1 has decided to experiment with a new qualifying format during two race weekends in 2023, cutting the number of slick tires allotted to each driver from 13 to 11.

The first location to test this format will be the Emilia Romagna GP, as the current qualifying structure has been highly successful since its inception in 2006. With two sets of tires removed from the pool, drivers will need to exercise extra caution with their tires during the qualifying rounds, introducing an unprecedented strategic element.

The tire compounds available for use will include four soft, three hard, and four medium compounds. In Q1, drivers will only be allowed to use hard tires, followed by medium tires in Q2 and soft tires in Q3.

The sport is yet to announce the second venue to test this new qualifying format. Speaking on the new F1 qualifying system with GPBlog, Pirelli's motorsport manager Mario Isola said:

"On those race weekends, the number of slicks available to drivers will be 11 instead of 13. With this alternative tyre selection, we will have the hard tyre for Q1, the medium tyre for Q2 and the soft tyre for Q3, with two sets of each tyre. In qualifying, conditions will then be the same for everyone.''

It will be interesting to see if this new qualifying format is a success in times to come.